Over the years, surgical laser systems have replaced manual surgical tools in ophthalmic procedures. Indeed, with applications in a variety of different procedures, surgical laser systems have become ubiquitous in eye surgery.
For instance, in the well-known procedure known as LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), a laser eye surgery system employing ultraviolet radiation is used for ablating and reshaping the anterior surface of the cornea to correct a refractive condition, such as myopia or hyperopia. Prior to ablation during LASIK, the cornea is incised with another surgical laser system employing a non-ultraviolet, ultra-short pulsed laser beam to create a flap to expose an underlying portion of the corneal bed so it can be then be ablated and reshaped with ultraviolet laser beams. Afterwards, the treated portion is covered with the flap.
Laser eye surgery systems have also been developed for cataract procedures. These systems can be used for various surgical procedures, including for instance: (1) creating one or more incisions in the cornea or in the limbus to reshape the cornea, (2) creating one or more incisions in the cornea to provide access for a cataract surgery instrument and/or to provide access for implantation of an intraocular lens, (3) incising the anterior lens capsule (anterior capsulotomy) to provide access for removing a cataractous lens, (4) segmenting and/or fragmenting a cataractous lens, and/or (5) incising the posterior lens capsule (posterior capsulotomy) for various cataract-related procedures.
Often, calibrating various laser surgical systems can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and more complex than desired. For example, in some situations, the calibration may require manual calibration of the scanning systems with a calibration plate, which can be time-intensive. Thus, providing laser eye surgery systems with improved characteristics for system calibration and related methods would be beneficial.